World's Preview: Pursuit Showdown!

10th March 2010: In the latest part of our preview features of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships, taking place at the Ballerup Super Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark from March the 24th to 28th 2010, we take a look at the Pursuit Events.

As you most probably already know, at the end of 2009 the UCI announced a new Olympic format that involved the Individual Pursuit, Points Race and Madison being dropped in favour of a new Omnium event. This new event includes a Flying lap (250-metre time trial), Points race (men: 30 km, women: 20 km), Individual pursuit (men: 4 km, women: 3 km), Scratch race (men: 15 km, women: 10 km), Kilometre time trial (men), 500-metre time trial (women) and Elimination race (24 starters).

The individual pursuit, one of the iconic endurance specialities, will maintain its traditional distances however this means the Individual Pursuit will still be in the Olympics it has been rendered pointless by the UCI as the winning rider will not become Olympic Individual Pursuit champion, one of the most coverted titles in Olympic Track Cycling history.

Will Houvenaghel finally claim an Individual World Title in Copenhagen?

Consequently Pursuit specialists have had to reconsider their options when it comes to Track Cycling, as despite the Team Pursuit remaining an Olympic event, they have been faced with the difficult decision of whether to change focus and train for the Omnium for the Olympics or just go for World Titles in the Pursuit whilst concentrating on their Road careers.

On the plus side, female riders not have the opportunity to ride the Team Pursuit at the Olympics so this area of Pursuiting has received a renewal of interest from nations.

Since its introduction into the UCI Track Cycling World Cup series in the 2007/08 season the Women’s Team Pursuit has been dominated by the British squad, with Wendy Houvenaghel and Joanna Rowsell claiming the World title with Rebecca Romero in 2008 and Lizzie Armitstead in 2009.

However the young Australian trio of Josie Tomic, Ashlee Ankudinoff and Sarah Kent have produced some impressive performances this season which when you add in the New Zealand team of Rushlee Buchanan, Lauren Ellis and Alison Shanks into the mix it bodes well for an exciting contest in Copenhagen.

Joanna Rowsell is one to watch in Copenhagen

In order to defend their unbeaten run in the event at the World Championships, the British will have to aim to smash their World Record time of 3m 21.875s set at the Manchester World Cup.

Australia recorded a 3m 22.879s at the Beijing World Cup, which considering how cold it was at the Laoshan Velodrome in January is a fantastic time so they will have their eyes on the World Record in the perfect conditions that the Ballerup Super Arena will offer for the World Championships.

Women’s Team Pursuit Predictions
1. Great Britain
2. Australia
3. New Zealand
One to Watch - Netherlands

In the Women’s Individual Pursuit defending champion Alison Shanks will look to go head to head with Olympic Silver medallist Wendy Houvenaghel in a repeat of last year’s final.

Over the course of the 2009/10 season the pair met at the Melbourne World Cup where Houvenaghel took the Gold medal in a time of 3m 33.771s to Shanks’ 3m 34.133s. The result was sweet revenge for Wendy, who hails from Northern Ireland; as Shanks came from behind deny Wendy her first individual World Title in Pruzskow last March.

Britain, Australia and New Zealand will battle for Gold again in 2010

Other contenders for a medal will be Lithuanian Vilija Sereikaite, Canada’s Tara Whitten, Britain’s Joanna Rowsell and promising young Australian Josie Tomic, although the latter will be concentrating on defending her Omnium title.

Women’s Individual Pursuit Predictions
1. Alison Shanks (New Zealand)
2. Wendy Houvenaghel (Great Britain)
3. Vilija Sereikaite (Lithuania)
One to Watch – Tara Whitten (Canada)

The Men’s Individual Pursuit is probably going to be one of the most eagerly anticipated World Championship title showdowns in recent memory as finally after fourteen years two riders have the chance of breaking Chris Boardman’s ‘Superman Style’ World Record of 4m 11.114s.

With Geraint Thomas confirming he’ll miss the championships due to his Spring Classics Road schedule with Team Sky, Gold and Silver from 2009, Taylor Phinney and Jack Bobridge will go head-to-head for the title.

Australia’s Bobridge has already ridden faster than Bradley Wiggins’ Olympic record of 4m 15.031s when he dominated the Australian National Pursuit Championship with a time of 4m 14.427s. Bobridge wasn’t even peaking for the National Championships so if all goes well in Copenhagen he is capable of producing a faster time but it remains to be seen how fast Phinney can ride.

Will Bobridge go sub 4m 14 in Copenhagen?

Last year at the World Championships in Pruzskow, Poland, Taylor clocked 4m 15.160s, however as he comments in an interview with Velodrome.org.uk that will appear at the end of the week he expects to go sub 4m 14 in Copenhagen.

Other contenders for a medal include Jesse Sergent of New Zealand who rode a 4m 19.937s to clinch the silver medal in the Melbourne World Cup and Belgian Dominique Cornu.

However going back to Bobridge’s Australian Championships victory, we simply can not forget the rest of the Australian team, as second place to Bobridge was Rohan Dennis who recorded a time of 4m 15.764s in qualification, with Travis Meyer qualifying third fastest in 4m 18.607s, simply amazing performances from the young Australians.

The Nationals results and the development of their young talent give Australia a fantastic chance in the Team Pursuit where they will again go head-to-head with Great Britain for another World Record showdown.

With the British squad Steve Burke, Ed Clancy, Andy Tennant and Geraint Thomas recording a time of 3m 54.395s at the Manchester World Cup they are looking to go one better in Copenhagen and smash their Beijing Olympics World Record of 3m 53.314s.

For the first time in ten years the British didn't Podium in the Worlds last year

The absence of Geraint Thomas will obviously affect the team who have yet to decide their final line-up for the Worlds, already in the running for the final spot in the team are Ben Swift and Andy Fenn. With Swift’s experience and desire to concentrate on the track until after 2012 it looks likely that he will take Thomas’ place in Copenhagen.

Hopes of a World Record for the British team will most probably have to be put on hold as we can’t see them beating the Australians who we think are set to pull of something special in Copenhagen.

Other teams not to be discounted are obviously New Zealand, Denmark and Spain all of whom have produced some strong performances over the last few seasons in the Pursuit. Denmark in particular will be looking to defend their World title on home-soil, however going off their results this season it is very hard to see them achieving this.

Men’s Individual Pursuit Predictions
1. Taylor Phinney (USA)
2. Jack Bobridge (Australia)
3. Jesse Sergent (New Zealand)
One to Watch – Rohan Dennis (Australia)

Men’s Team Pursuit Predictions
1. Australia
2. Great Britain
3. New Zealand
One to Watch – Denmark

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